Automated Pre-Demolition Audit for Increased Reusability of Building Materials (APAIR) - A Circular Economy Approach

到2025年，全球每年的建筑垃圾预计将超过22亿吨（美国）。环境保护署，2021年）。这些废物占二氧化碳排放量的30%以上，对气候变化造成严重后果。这些废物不仅对环境产生负面影响，而且还代表着错失了回收或再利用有价值材料的机会。建筑、拆除和挖掘行业产生了英国约60%的废物，其中拆除是建筑行业的主要贡献者。研究结果显示，每年的拆建废物超过1亿公吨（Hughes & Salvidge，2018），仅在2020年，英国就产生了超过5360万吨的无害建筑和发展废物（英国废物统计数据，2020年）。重复使用材料对减少隐含碳排放有重大影响，与购买新产品相比，潜在节省高达95%。为了解决这个问题，UKGBC实施了建筑客户循环经济指南，其中包括“最大限度地重复使用”作为其指导原则之一（UKGBC，2019），以及其他旨在减少浪费的政策。建筑环境部门对气候影响的意识日益提高，也导致开发商减少废物产生的压力越来越大，为实现这一目标而实施的措施之一是拆除前审计。进行拆除前审计有助于最大限度地重复使用和回收材料。虽然拆除往往是新的发展和振兴所必需的，但重要的是要考虑对环境的影响，并采取措施尽量减少废物的产生。需要进行拆迁前审计，以支持循环经济声明，作为重建规划阶段的一部分，以促进可持续建筑实践，并确定节省成本的机会。然而，这通常是一个耗时的过程，需要几个星期才能完成，这取决于项目的规模。尽管拆除前审计有好处，但所需的长时间往往被开发商/客户视为负担，他们可能认为这是施工过程中的延误。这可能会导致跳过这一重要阶段的诱惑，这可能会对环境和经济产生重大影响。该项目（APAIR）旨在实现拆除前审计过程的自动化，并提高拆除前建筑材料的可重复使用性。APAIR旨在通过使用先进的机器学习算法来简化拆除前的审计过程。它可以在拆卸建筑物之前迅速识别建筑物中存在的可重复使用的材料。然后，这些信息用于确定哪些材料可以重复使用-回收-再利用或处理。APAIR有可能彻底改变拆除行业。

The annual global-construction waste is projected to exceed 2.2-billion-tonnes by 2025 (U.S.-Environmental-Protection-Agency, 2021). This waste accounts for over 30% of CO2 emissions which has severe consequences for climate-change. This waste not only has a negative impact on the environment, but it also represents a missed opportunity to recycle-or-reuse valuable materials. The construction-demolition-and-excavation industries are responsible for generating around 60% of the UK's waste, with demolition being a major contributor within the construction industry. Findings suggest construction-and-demolition(C&D) waste amount to over 100 million tonnes annually (Hughes & Salvidge, 2018), and in 2020 alone, the UK generated over 53.6 million tonnes of non-hazardous C&D waste (UK statistics on waste, 2020).Reusing materials have a significant impact on reducing embodied carbon emissions, with potential savings of up to 95% compared to purchasing new products. To address this issue, the UKGBC has implemented a Circular-Economy Guidance for Construction Clients, which includes "Maximise Reuse" as one of its guiding principles (UKGBC, 2019), alongside other policies aimed at reducing waste. The rising awareness of the built-environment sector's impact on the climate has also led to increased pressure on developers to reduce waste generation, and one of the measures implemented to achieve this is Pre-demolition audit.Pre-demolition audit is conducted to help maximise reuse & recycling of materials. While demolition is often necessary for new development and revitalization, it is important to consider the impact on the environment and take steps to minimize waste-generation. Pre-demolition audit is required to support the circular economy statement as part of the planning stage of redevelopment, to promote sustainable building practices, and identify opportunities for cost-savings. However, it is generally a time-consuming process requiring several weeks to complete, depending on the project size. Despite the benefits of pre-demolition audit, the long-time required is often seen as a burden by developers/clients who may view it as a delay in the construction process. This can lead to the temptation to skip this important stage, which can inherently have significant consequences for the environment & economy.This project (APAIR) is aimed at automating the pre-demolition audit process and improving the reusability of construction materials before demolition. APAIR aims to streamline the pre-demolition audit process, by using advanced machine-learning algorithms. it can quickly identify the reusable materials present in a building before demolition. This information is then used to determine which materials can be reused-recycled-repurposed or disposed. APAIR has the potential to revolutionize the demolition-industry.